Apparatus for directing oval cigarettes



Dec. 26, 1933. NEFF 1,941,219

APPARATUS FOR DIRECTING OVAL CIGARETTES Filed May 5, 1950 Patented Dec. 26, 1933 APPARATUS" FOR DIRECTING- OVAL CIGARETTES' Johannes Neflf, Dresden, Germany, assignor to Universelle Cigarettenmaschinen- Fabrik J. C. Miiller & 00., DresdenQGermany Application'May 5, 1930, Serial-No. 449,824, and

I in Germany August 8, 1929 1o creams;

In packeting cigarettes the upper layer at least .should be of uniform appearance i. e. the imprints of all the cigarettes must be directed upwards. Asin the cigarettes coming from the :5 machine the imprints may be disposed haphazard they are first passed by feeding means separately in parallelly arranged pockets to a testing station where they are examined either by :a stronglylight sensitive or heat sensitive cell in known manner to ascertain whether thetigarettes are disposed correctly or not as regards their imprints or they are examined mechanically through the medium .of a feeler contacting with the cigarette seams to ascertain whether the cigarettes lie correctly or not. In both cases if a cigarette be incorrectly positioned a turning mechanism is set in rotation which brings the cigarette through 130 into proper position. It is assumed for the correct working of the testing station whether it employs physical or mechanical means that the cigarettes should be presented to it in a correct position, i. e. with oval cigarettes the longitudinal axis .of the cross section must lie' correctly horizontal. It is however not possible to ensure that the cigarettes passing on to the conveyor provided with pockets or the like actually all assume the correct position.

The invention is concerned with the problem of so arranging the cigarettes on the conveyor that they reach the testing station in the correct position i. e. that the longitudinal axis of the oval cross section of said cigarettes lies exactly horizontal. For this purpose means are provided which raise the cigarettes slightly in the pockets whereupon by means of a presser suitably shaped resting on the raised cigarettes and also fed forwards with the conveyor in the same direction the cigarettes are so arranged that the said longitudinal axis lies horizontal. 7

Thus the cigarettes are first raised slightly in their pockets so that they are free and can be easily directed by the directing means. The directing means only requires to be provided with a suitably shaped directing surface in order to bring them into the correct position.

Both the arrangement of the means for raising the cigarettes and the arrangement of the directing means maybe varied within wide limits.

Figs..1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing show two embodiments of the invention both in vertical section partly in side elevation.

Referring to Fig. 1 between the two parallel pocket chains 1 is arranged a shaped roller 2 provided with pockets '3 which roller is'mounted on the shaft 4 and is rotated in'the direction of the arrow to feed forwards the pocket chains. The pocket chains are guided in suchmanner that the-pockets 1 adjacent the roller are somewhat lower than the-corresponding pocket 3 of the-'roller-inthe uppermost position so that the cigarettes Z are'raised from thepockets l of the. chains 1 and pressed by means of the roller 5 provided with corresponding recesses'6 into the pocket 3 in such manner that the said longitudinal axis of the cigarette lies horizontal. V

The two shaped rollers 5 are driven bymeans of chains 7' which are driven by the actuating means driving the pocket chains .1 so that the speed of the pocket chains 1* is the same as that of the periphery of the pockets '2 and 5. In order to permit regulati'on'of the distance apart of the two shaped rollers according to the pressure to be exerted on the cigarettes both are connected by means of pinions 8 and 9 through the pinions 10 and 11. 1 j 1 In the embodiment illustrated in Fig; 2 a supporting plate or surface 13' is disposed between the two pocketfchains 12 which plate is secured to the two angle members liandlS-andgiadual- 1y raises'the cigarettes Z from the pockets 12' of the chains. At the end of the plate the shaped roller 16 which is provided with corre-. sponding pockets 17 engages the cigarettes from above and directs the longitudinal axis of the cross section horizontally. In this instance also the shaped roller 1 6 isdriven by means of pinions 18 and 19 and 20 in such manner that the peripheral velocity of the shaped rollers 16 will correspond with the speed of the pocket chains I claim:

1. Apparatus for directing oval cigarettes fed separately in parallelly disposed pockets by feeding means to .a testing station comprising means for raising the cigarettes slightly in their pockets, and rotatable means adapted to press on the raised cigarettes and to move forward in the same direction as the feeding means and with a sur- 1 face speed equal to the speed of the feeding means, said pressing means acting to direct the cigarettes with their. longitudinal cross-sectional axes horizontally.

2. Apparatus for directing oval cigarettes fed separately in parallelly disposed pockets to a testing station in uniform manner comprising feeding means, said feeding means consisting of a pair of parallel pocket chains spaced so as to support the cigarettes at bothends. and means for raising the cigarettes slightly from their pockets, said means consisting of a stationary plate located between the two pocket chains and rotatable means adjacent said plate for engaging said raised cigarettes and bringing them into uniform arrangement.

3. Apparatus for directing oval cigarettes fed forward separately in parallelly disposedpockets to a testing station comprising feeding means, said feeding means consisting of a pair of parallel pocket chains spaced so as to support the cigarettes at both ends and means for raising the cigarettes slightly from their pockets, said means comprising a roller disposed between the two chains and formed at its periphery with pockets receiving the cigarettes, said roller having a peripheral velocity coincident with the speed of movement of the pocket chains.

4. Apparatus for directing oval cigarettes which are fed separately in parallelly disposed pockets to atesting station comprising feeding means, said feeding means consisting of a pair of parallel pocketchains spaced apart to support the cigarettes at both ends, .means for raising the cigarettesslightlyin their pockets, and means adapted to press onthe raised cigarettes, said latter means consisting of a pocket drum disposed over the cigarettes and. having a peripheral velocity coincident with the speed of movement of the pocket chains. 7

' 5. Apparatus for uniformly arranging oval cigarettes on a conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the-oval cross section thereof, comprising pocketed feeding chains, a revolving pocketed roller cooperating with said feeding chains and whose pockets are adapted to raise the cigarettesin the pockets of said feeding chains and means ,for turning saidraised cigarettes into the desired position.

6. Apparatus for uniformly arranging oval cigarettes on a conveyor with respect tothe longitudinal axes'of their oval cross sectionscomprising means in .the path of saidcigarettes on ing and bringing said raised cigarettes into said desired arrangement.

7. Apparatus for uniformly arranging oval cigarettes with respect to the longitudinal axes of their oval cross sections comprising feeding means for saidcigarettes, meansinthe path of said cigarettes-on said feeding means for raising the former and rotatable pocketed means adjacent said raising means for engaging and bringing said raisedvcigarettes into said desired arrangement.

8. Apparatus for uniformly arranging oval cigarettes on a conveyor with respect to the 1ongitudinal axes oftheir oval cross sections comprising rotatable means in the path of said cigarettes on said conveyor for raising the former during ,a portion of their travel and rotatable pocketed means adjacent said first named rotatable means for engaging and bringing said raised cigarettes into said desired arrangement. 9. Apparatus. for uniformly arranging oval cigarettes with respect to the longitudinal axes of their oval cross-sections comprising feeding means forsaid cigarettes, rotatable means in the path of saidcigaretteson said feeding means for raising the former and rotatable pocketed means adjacentsaid'first named rotatable means for engaging andbringing'said raised cigarettes into said desired arrangement;

lOQApparatus for directing oval cigarettes which are fed separately in parallelly disposed pockets to a'testingstation comprising feeding means, said feeding means consisting of a pair .of parallel pocket chains, spaced apart to support the cigarettesatboth ends, rotatable means for raising the cigarettes slightly in their pocket oonsistingof,,a,pjocket drum disposed under said cigarettes adjacent said first namedpocket drum and each of, said pocketflrumshaving apperipheral velocity coincident with ,the speed of the movement ,ofithepocket chain.

' J OHANN S 

